When you have gaps in your smile due to tooth loss, then we will help with prosthetic dentistry. From dental bridges to dental implants, we can help you smile with confidence and enjoy your favorite dishes again. In today’s blog, your Shrewsbury, MA, dentist talks about our custom dental prosthetics.
The Factors Behind Your Missing Teeth
Missing teeth can mean serious trouble for your oral health and even your overall quality of life. But why do we lose our adult teeth? For some, this is related to an injury or accident. Others may lose teeth or have them extracted due to severe decay or infection. The most common factor is periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease that destroys the connective tissues between your teeth and gums. As part of your tooth replacement process, we will examine the smile carefully to assess the cause and extent of your tooth loss, so we can help manage any underlying issues that could threaten your remaining natural teeth or your replacement ones.
Planning and Preparing for Prosthetic Dentistry
To begin, as we touched on above, we will carefully examine your smile to find out the causes of your tooth loss and to assess the severity. We may need to extract some teeth, particularly if you have lost most of them. Throughout the process, we will take steps to ensure you are comfortable and relaxed, so you can enjoy a positive experience as we tackle your tooth loss.
Dental Bridges
When you have missing teeth, but the tooth loss is minor, then we could help with a dental bridge. The prosthetic can address between one and three missing teeth in a row. The prosthetic itself will contain your new teeth with crowns on each end. These crowns will be connected to the abutment teeth, the ones on each side of the gap. We craft the bridge from materials like ceramic, which can absorb daily bite forces and also be shaded to blend with your smile. Once in place, your bridges can last between 10 and 15 years with proper care and attention.
Partial Dentures
What if you have missing teeth, but there are gaps across the arch of your smile? In these cases, you need more than a bridge, but a full denture may not be necessary. Which means a partial could be the right choice for you! A partial is designed to provide new teeth that fit within these gaps. The new teeth are inserted into a base that looks like gum tissues, and metal clasps are used to connect the denture to natural teeth and secure your new ones firmly in place. They are removable and will need to be soaked and cleaned periodically, and tend to last about 5 to 10 years before adjustment or replacement is necessary.
Dental Implants
Our team can also replace missing teeth with dental implants, or use several of these implant posts to secure a bridge or even a full set of dentures. Dental implants act like new roots, which prevents the jawbone from breaking down, so your new teeth could have the potential to last for decades to come, possibly a lifetime. We carefully plan every step to ensure success and to keep your jawbone and facial structure intact, so your new smile can truly last. These will look and function like natural teeth, and last far longer than traditional bridges or removable dentures.
Maxillofacial Prosthetics
Instead of simply replacing your missing teeth, your intraoral maxillofacial prosthetics are designed to help improve your ability to speak and chew, augmenting your oral cavity and addressing any defects. These prosthetics are flexible and custom-made, ensuring a comfortable fit and a lifelike appearance.
We also have extraoral maxillofacial prosthetics, which are designed to help improve the beauty of your smile’s external appearance, in addition to replacing missing teeth. We work hard to ensure they have the right color, shape, and size to ensure a proper fit and better quality of life. If you have any questions about how our team will provide prosthetic dentistry to replace your missing teeth, or if you would like to schedule an initial consultation, then contact our team today to learn more.
Schedule a Visit and Obtain a Full Smile Again
The team at Modern Dentistry of Shrewsbury in MA wants to provide a solution for the gaps in your smile. To schedule an appointment with us, call our office today at 508-842-8838. You should start a new year on the path to a full smile, and we want to help!
